Elaine J W Stanovsky offers episcopal leadership and missional vision for the people and churches of the Greater Northwest Area of The United Methodist Church, inclusive of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences. Her current assignment to the Greater Northwest follows eight years with the Mountain Sky Area, and 27 years of ministry in the greater Seattle area as a local church pastor, ecumenical officer, district superintendent and director of connectional ministries.

Bishop Stanovsky is deeply committed to finding fresh ways to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to new generations, and inviting every local church to step outside its building to re-engage the mission frontier. She believes that the Wesleyan tradition of shaping our lives to serve Christ’s kingdom on earth offers good news to younger generations and holds hope of saving God’s precious world.

During her tenure in the Mountain Sky Area, Bishop Stanovsky offered leadership to efforts to honor the memory of those who died in the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado in 1864. She also provided direction to conversations between the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone conferences toward a shared, mission-shaped future.

Bishop Elaine received a Bachelor of Arts, University of Puget Sound, summa cum laude in Religion and Geology, and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School.

She is married to Clinton, an environmental consultant. They have three young adult sons, Axel, Micah, and Walker.

Personal Statement

Each generation is called to carry the gospel to a new generation. I believe the United Methodist Church is poised to engage a multi-cultural, globally conscious generation in the West with the good news of Jesus Christ. Our Wesleyan heritage offers rich resources for this mission in our region:

Enthusiasm for sharing the grace and love of Jesus Christ

Passion for ministry with poor and marginalized people

Love of knowledge and of the natural world

Confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform and make new

A “catholic spirit” of fellowship with anyone whose “heart is as my heart”

Educated clergy in partnership with empowered laity

A lay movement of small groups, where seekers become disciples

Since my youth God has called and empowered me for ministries of renewal and oversight. I continue to say “yes” to God’s claim on my life.

I love the church that nurtured and ordained me. I yearn and work for the church God calls us to become.